It's back-to-school time, and you know what that means: throngs of college kids swarming the city, stealing back your summer fling (okay, he was19), and generally making you feel old. C’mon, we know you’re just jealous — when else in your life did you party five nights aweek, bum off your parents, and hook up with anything that moved? Whether you’re a USC alum, a frat boy from Middle America, or a proud former Boston collegiate, you can relive the good old days with a college-area pub crawl. If you’re really feeling nostalgic, hit up a different school’s ’hood every night. The nice thing is, now you can afford more than dollar drafts.

Boston CollegeIf your post-grad life is lacking in required reading, make your first stop an academic one at Union Street (107 R Union Street, Newton Centre,617.964.6684). It co-hosts the author series Newtonville Books in the Attic in its upstairs bar; greats like Dennis Lehane, Zadie Smith, and Augusten Burroughs have read there in the past.(Of course, if you’re just looking for a quality beer in a fun atmosphere, no literary chops required, Union Street can provide that, too.) Stop off at the expansive patio at Devlin’s Restaurant & Bar (332 Washington Street, Brighton, 617.779.8822) for a South End feel without the pricey cab ride. From there, head to Cleveland Circle to Roggie’s New Age Brew & Grille (356 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton, 617.566.1880). From 4 to 7pm, enjoy 25-cent wings and good conversation with frazzled coeds decompressing after class. Then it’s a quick trip down the street to City Side Bar & Grille (1960 Beacon Street, Brighton,617.566.1002). The roof deck is an excellent place to drink if you can snag a spot, and the crowd catches some contagious BC-sports fever -— an added plus on game days. Late-night, headover to Mary Ann’s (1937-1939 Beacon Street,Boston; no phone), the Cheers of Boston College. The drinks are cheap, the cups are plastic, and things have been known to get rowdy, but it’s got a true neighborhood feel. We promise you’ll spend the rest of the night loving everything about the scene. Well, everything but the guy puking next to you in the bathroom.

Boston UniversityThe BU crowd is so diverse and international that plopping them down in a place like Allston makes for an interesting dynamic. A plethora of bars and nightclubs has sprung up to meet the demands of such a worldly set. Sunset Grill & Tap (130 Brighton Avenue, Allston, 617.254.1331) is the ideal spot to grab a great burger and kick off your pregame. It’s got an impressive 112 taps, 380 microbrews, and 63 styles of beer, so even your favorite beer snob won’t be disappointed. From there, head to Wonder Bar(186 Harvard Avenue, Allston, 617.351.2665), where — gasp! — you might actually see BU-ers mixing with the kids from BC. It’s one of the few places in the neighborhood with bouncers and a dress code. Inside, it’s a classy joint, with live jazz and a mix of DJs, depending onthe night. Tonic (1316 Comm Ave, Brighton, 617.566.6699) is another option on the upscale end. Head downstairs to the Met Lounge or hang out at the upstairs bar; either way, you’ll get a sexy vibe from the red walls, the martini in your hand, and the good-looking guy chatting you up (so what if he’s afrat boy?). Over on Lansdowne Street, a stop at Embassy (36 Lansdowne Street, Boston, 617.536.2100) is in order. Take a few spins around the dance floor with the international kids — they’re by far the best dancers in the city. End your night at the Avenue (1249 Comm Ave, Allston, 617.782.9508) with one of its city-famous $1 drafts. Indulge in a game of Photo Hunt alongside the by-now-sloppy students and enjoy the high-fives and celebratory hugs before you head back to the world of business hand shakes and pats on the back.

25 Classes That Will Get You $50K Unless you dream of becoming, say, a Franciscan monk, a retail clerk, or a freelance writer, vows of poverty probably don’t show up on your career checklist.

Senior years These are the BU Evergreeners — chatty and well-dressed, brandishing ballpoints and Starbucks.

Books tour While most area colleges continue to offer predictably boring campus tours that amount to wandering through academic ghost towns imagining departed crowds, there are also some alternatives to the standard walk-and-talk routine.

The unfaithful scholar Perhaps you were lured by the promise of original Abraham Lincoln speeches (Boston College) or a castle (Emerson’s Kasteel Well, a 12th century landmark in the Netherlands).

Parody flunks out Artist Barry Blitt’s brilliant illustration — which sought to satirize the naysayers who portray Obama as a flag-burning, unpatriotic Muslim and his wife as a black-power radical — cut to the core of today’s political paradox.

Across the Universe Intuition tells us that certain places are powerful, that certain spaces are sacred, and that we are sometimes in the presence of cosmic energy.

I am I said Tufts University Art Gallery presents “Empire And Its Discontents,” which opens September 15 with work by 11 artists tied to previously colonized regions in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

Ledge Lessons As advocates of higher education and living as long as medically possible, we were sad to read that, according to new-media-powerhouse Web site the Daily Beast, Greater Boston is home to not one but five of the most stressful colleges in the United States.

Acquiring minds Given that virtually every activity in our lives is experienced through purchases, the exhibition’s focus on branding is sure to resonate with those of us facing post-holiday bills.

Chan we can believe in If you’ve visited the Institute of Contemporary Art at any point in the last few years — in either of its physical incarnations — there’s a good chance you’ve seen Paul Chan’s work.

Learning not to kill This article originally appeared in the February 27, 1998 issue of the Boston Phoenix.